[Today’s English Version C.11; Revised Standard Version 13.18]

Like the Greek, both Revised Standard Version and Today’s English Version begin this verse with the conjunction And. But both Revised Standard Version and Today’s English Version make it a new paragraph, to indicate that the prayer has ended and that this is a different scene. The translator may need to use an appropriate discourse marker to introduce this verse that concludes this section.

Cried out mightily is to “pray loudly” (Today’s English Version), literally “shouted from their strength.” One may also say “with all their might.” Bible en français courant expands to say “All the Israelites called upon the Lord for help with loud cries.”

Death was before their eyes: literally “their death [was] in their eyes.” This is metaphorical language. Death was so certain that it was like something so close they could see it. Today’s English Version says “they were sure that they were going to die.” An equivalent idiom may be used, such as “death was staring them in the face” (New Jerusalem Bible), “their death was right in front of them,” or “their death was in front of their shins.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Noss, Philip A. A Handbook on the Book of Esther — Deuterocanon: The Greek Text. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .